‘Beaver’ to premiere at SXSW

'Can't Stop,' 'It's About You' to also debut at fest

Jodie Foster’s drama “The Beaver,” starring Mel Gibson, will world preem March 16 at the SXSW Film Festival.

The Austin, Texas, fest announced Thursday that the event would include the world premieres of Rodman Flender’s “Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop,” Kurt and Ian Markus’ “It’s About You,” Billy Corben’s “Square Grouper” and Ti West’s “The Innkeepers.”

Summit Entertainment announced a month ago that it would open “The Beaver” in limited release March 23 before expanding April 8.

SXSW previously announced that it would launch March 11 with the world premiere of director Duncan Jones’ “Source Code,” starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan and Vera Farmiga. Complete lineup will be announced in early February for the festival, which will run through March 19.

“As we continue to solidify the lineup for 2011, it’s truly exciting to be able to announce this little taste of the program,” said film conference and festival producer Janet Pierson in a statement. “Each of these films really showcases an artist stretching their wings in some way, whether it be a latenight talkshow host taking his act on the road, an actress-filmmaker carefully and beautifully tackling a heartbreaking subject in her finest work yet or a successful photographer trying out a new medium in a new landscape.”

landscape.”

“Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop” follows O’Brien on last year’s “Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television Tour.”